State news agency Xinhua reported Wednesday that at least 21 people have been confirmed dead following a landslide in China’s western Gansu province, with rescue and recovery operations now concluded.
The disaster unfolded early Tuesday morning when the landslide swept through a valley in Tanchang county, leaving 33 people trapped.
According to state-run China Newsweek, the majority of those caught in the landslide were residents from surrounding villages who had been brought on as temporary workers at a government-operated forestry farm located in the valley.
The area is characterized by rugged mountain terrain, deep valleys, and a network of rivers — conditions that make the region particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as flash floods and landslides, especially during the rainy season.
